Britney Spears’ father to step down from conservatorship

Jamie Spears says he has been 'the unremitting target of unjustified attacks'

Jamie Spears has been the head of his pop star daughter's conservatorship for several years. AP

Britney Spears’s father agreed on Thursday to step down from the conservatorship that has controlled her life and money for 13 years.

Several outlets including Variety and CNN reported that Jamie Spears filed legal documents saying that while there are no grounds for his removal, he will step down.

The decision comes after months of public and legal wrangling by his daughter and in recent weeks, her new lawyer.

The documents say that he is “the unremitting target of unjustified attacks” but “he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests".

The filing says Mr Spears will fight the petition to force him out, but will work with the court and Ms Spears’s lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, to “prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator".

“We are pleased that Mr Spears and his lawyer have today conceded in a filing that he must be removed,” Mr Rosengart said.

“It is vindication for Britney.”

For most of the existence of the conservatorship, which was established in 2008, Mr Spears oversaw his daughter’s personal affairs and money.

In 2019, he stepped down as the so-called conservator of her person but maintained control of her finances.

He was nevertheless the target of much of his daughter’s ire in a pair of speeches before the court in June and July, in which she called the conservatorship “abusive".

In her June remarks, Spears said she had been required to use an intrauterine device for birth control, take medications against her will and was prevented from marrying, having another child or even riding in her boyfriend’s car unsupervised.

“This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good,” the 39-year-old Spears said at the time.

“I deserve to have a life.”

Mr Spears was fighting to remain in control in court filings as recently as last week.